1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pedal support structure for a vehicle, and particularly to a pedal support structure for supporting a brake pedal or a clutch pedal therefor at an optimum safe position without contacting passengers when the vehicle is collided in a forward direction.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A brake pedal for an automobile is provided in front of a driver""s seat in a passenger compartment. The brake pedal is composed of a pedal pad and a pedal lever, and is actuated by a driver. The brake pad is used as a step-on surface which the driver stamps. The pedal lever extends approximately in a vertical direction and has the pedal pad at a bottom end thereof. A top end of the pedal lever is supported on a pedal bracket so as to pivot thereon and the pedal bracket is fixed to a toe board. The toe board is a partition interposed between an engine room and the passenger compartment. In front of the toe board, a master cylinder is provided for amplifying the stepping force of the driver. The master cylinder and the pedal lever is linked with each other via a pushrod.
There is such a possibility that the brake pedal with the above-mentioned structure is moved backward, that is, in a direction toward a passenger when external force more than a predetermined value is applied to the vehicle from the front. In this case, the external force pushes a power unit backward, and the power unit pushes the master cylinder and the toe board toward the passenger compartment. Finally, the brake pedal supported by the pedal bracket is pushed backward.
As a countermeasure to eliminate such possibility, a pedal support structure is proposed in Japanese Kokai Publication 2000-163146. The pedal support structure is shown in FIG. 8 as a schematic diagram, and in FIG. 9 as a cross section of a part shown in FIG. 8 cut along IIIxe2x80x94III. A pedal bracket 110 has a pair of outer plates 111 which oppose with each other and an inner plate 115 which is interposed between the outer plates 111. Front parts of the outer plates 111 are attached to a toe board 101, and rear parts thereof are linked to a steering support beam 102. Each outer plate 111 has a convex portion at an intermediate position thereof. This shape of the outer plates 111 helps to enlarge the distance between the two intermediate positions when an external force exceeding a predetermined value is applied to the vehicle from the front. A circular opening 113 is perforated at the intermediate position of each outer plate 111.
The plan view of the inner plate 115 is approximately in a U shape by a plane view. By interposing the inner plate 115 between the outer plates 111, opposing walls 116 of the inner plate 115 are firmly fixed on the outer plates 111 by superimposing on each other on the side of the steering support beam 102. A boss 107a in the shape of a cylinder is prepared at the top end of a pedal lever 107. A bolt 109a as an axle is inserted into the boss 107a, and the boss 107a containing the bolt 109a is laid over both opposing walls 116. In this state, the bolt 109a is screwed with a nut 109b, whereby the boss 107a is supported by the inner plate 115. A master cylinder 119 is located in front of the toe board 101. The pedal lever 107 and the master cylinder 119 are connected with each other via a pushrod (not shown) which penetrates the toe board 101.
When an external force more than a predetermine value is applied to the vehicle from the front, the external force backwardly pushes a power unit (not shown) contained in an engine room E. Then, the power unit pushes the master cylinder 119 and the toe board 101 to the passenger compartment R side. Accordingly, the outer plate 111 begins to deform at the vicinity of the circular openings 113, and then the outer plates 111 are widely apart from each other. On the other hand, the inner plate 115 is not affected by the deformation of the outer plates 111, and keeps to support the pedal lever 107. In this way, the pedal support structure is so prepared to maintain the distance from a passenger to the pedal lever 107 and a pedal pad 108.
In the above-mentioned pedal support structure described in Japanese Kokai Publication 2000-163146, only the outer plates 111 are deformed, and the pedal lever 107 and the pedal pad 108 are prevented from moving backward by the inner plate 115 supporting the pedal lever 107.
However, when a still larger external force is applied to push the toe board 101 and the master cylinder 119 backward, there is such a possibility that the pushrod protruded from the master cylinder 119 pushes the pedal lever 107 backward, and that the pedal lever 107 pivots on the upper end of the pedal lever 107, whereby the pedal pad 108 is pushed up toward the passenger. The same can happen as to a clutch pedal.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a pedal support structure for use in a vehicle which provides safety by preventing a pedal from moving in a direction toward a passenger compartment when an external force applied to a vehicle comprising a toe board; a steering support beam; a pedal lever with a first end and a second end; a master cylinder connected with the toe board; a pushrod extending from the master cylinder and having an end connected to the pedal lever; a pair of pedal support elements including pedal support portions opposing each other and extending in a lengthwise direction of a vehicle body, the pedal support element having a first end connected to the toe board and a second end connected to the steering support beam; a supporting mechanism provided between the pedal support portions for supporting the first end of the pedal lever thereon so as to permit pivotal movement of the pedal lever; and a catcher bracket having a free end facing the pedal lever, and the pedal support portions of the pedal support elements being spread apart when a force is applied to the vehicle so as to disconnect the pedal lever from the supporting mechanism, and movement of the pedal lever in a direction toward an operator of the vehicle being restricted by the pedal lever contacting the catcher bracket when the pedal lever is disconnected from the pedal supporting mechanism.
A second object of the present invention is to provide the pedal support structure for the vehicle by which the pedal support portions are certainly subjected to an opening deformation when an external force is applied from the front side of the vehicle wherein the pedal support elements successively comprise installation portions connected to the toe board; opposing portions opposing each other and extending from the installation portions; first inclination portions extending from the opposing portions having a first connection between the opposing portions and the first inclination portions; the pedal support portions extending from the first inclination portions having a second connection between the first inclination portions and the pedal support portions; second inclination portions extending from the pedal support portions having a third connection between the pedal support portions and the second inclination portions; and connecting portions extending from the second inclination portions having a fourth connection between the second inclination portions and the connecting portions, the connecting portions connected to the steering support beam; the pedal support elements being bent at the first connection, the second connection, the third connection and the fourth connection so as to have the first inclination portions gradually having a longer distance from each other towards the pedal support portions, and the second inclination portions gradually having a shorter distance from each other towards the connecting portions.
A third object of the present invention is to provide the pedal support structure for the vehicle by which the pedal is firmly supported on the pedal support portions by a simple structure that makes the braking operation comfortably performed, and a braking effect can be maintained for a relatively long time even by the detachment of the pedal lever from the shaft in the pedal support portions wherein the supporting mechanism comprises a shaft having engaging parts provided with serrations at both ends; the pedal support portions having supporting holes, the engaging parts pressed into the supporting holes and the first end of the pedal lever supported on the shaft so as to rotate therearound.
A fourth object of the present invention is to provide the pedal support structure for the vehicle by which the movement of the pedal lever toward the operator is effectively restricted wherein the catcher bracket has another end connected to the pedal bracket, the free end of the catcher bracket contacting the pedal lever when the pedal lever is detached, and the free end moveable downwardly to push the pedal lever in a downward direction.
A fifth object of the present invention is to provide the pedal support structure for the vehicle by which the pedal lever is pressed in a direction apart from the operator with a larger reliability wherein the pedal lever has a concave part at the second end which is engageable with the free end of the catcher bracket.
A sixth object of the present invention is to provide the pedal support structure for the vehicle by which the pedal lever is supported by the pedal support elements with an improved certainty and the pedal operation is comfortably performed in a normal condition, and opening deformation of the pedal support elements are certainly carried out and the catcher bracket is firmly supported and functions in an excellent way when an external force is applied to the vehicle from the front side of the vehicle, further comprising rigid support brackets having a larger rigidity than the pedal support elements, the pedal support elements connected to the steering support beam by the rigid support brackets, and the another end of the catcher bracket fixed on the rigid support brackets.
A seventh object of the present invention is to provide the pedal support structure for the vehicle by which an external force from the front side of the vehicle is received by the steering support beam which has a large rigidity, and the opening deformation of the pedal support bracket is surely performed with minimizing the load application to a bulkhead further comprising a bulkhead extending from an upper end of the toe board, a bulkhead bracket provided on the bulkhead, the bulkhead bracket having a bolt hole therein, the rigid support brackets having a bolt hole therein, the bulkhead bracket and the rigid support brackets connected by a bolt through the bolt hole in the rigid support bracket and the bolt hole in the bulkhead bracket, at least one of the bolt hole in the bulkhead and the bolt hole in the rigid support bracket having an oval shape with a longer axis in a lengthwise direction of the vehicle body.